Israel is determined to “destroy Hezbollah” in Lebanon, an IDF official said – while acknowledging that the Jewish state is facing “challenging days” in the wake of the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi addressed the world in a video statement shared on Saturday, the Times of Israel reported.
“Nasrallah killed Israeli civilians indiscriminately. He wanted this war to end with the destruction of Israel, we made sure that wouldn’t happen. We killed him, and we will get stronger,” Halevi said of the Hezbollah leader, who was taken out by an Israeli strike on Beirut Friday.
“We are determined to continue to destroy the Hezbollah terror group. We are determined to continue fighting,” he added.
Halevi acknowledged that “challenging days are ahead of us” as Hezbollah and other Iran-backed opponents seek to avenge Nasrallah’s death.
“IDF troops are on peak alert, on defense and offense, on all fronts,” he said.
In addition to its fight against Hezbollah, the IDF remains dedicated to “destroying terror organizations and their capabilities [in Gaza], returning the hostages… and returning the residents to the north and south to their homes safely,” Halevi said.
Israel has been at war on multiple fronts for nearly a year, since the Hamas terror attack on Oct. 7.
Earlier this month, Israeli officials indicated that the focus of the war effort was shifting from Hamas’ decimated strongholds in the Gaza Strip to the looming threats from Hezbollah in the north.
In the wake of Nasrallah’s death, Hezbollah fired a volley of rockets into Israel – but officials said the terror group’s inner disorganization may have been preventing a larger response, CNN reported.
Hezbollah’s command structure has supposedly been laid bare, and a round of 1,600 airstrikes on Monday decimated weapons stores and missile launch positions.
Israeli generals are preparing for a ground offensive into Lebanon, though it has not been decided if that will happen, CNN reported.
